It seems that every evangelical message these days is about Jesus being with us, for us, never leaving or forsaking us. Much is said about what He has done and will do for us. But something seems to be missing. It seems in the vast majority of these messages there is separation between Jesus and the Christian. Most of these messages are very encouraging and uplifting but something seems to be missing. What seems to be missing is “Christ in you the hope of glory.”
Now I know that any true Christian worth his salt knows the truth of that, but it seems to be sadly lacking in how we live life, deal with issues and problems, and respond to Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Do we know and believe that we were crucified with Him and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us and the life we live we live by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal. 2:20)? Do we know that Christ is our life (Col. 3:4) and the only life we have? Do we know that we are one Spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17)? Do we know that as He is so are we in this world (1 John 4:17).
Didn’t Jesus pray that we would be one with Him and the Father (John 17:22, 23) and I believe that prayer was answered. I know that it’s hard to get your mind around that. In fact it is impossible. But we don’t live by sight, but by faith. As Prov. 3:5, 6 says we can’t understand that or figure it out. As it reads in the Message “Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.” (Prov. 3:5 MSG). If you figure it out on your own you might come up with a well-reasoned theology, but it will not do you much good.
After three years of studying theology at seminary and eighteen years as a Christian I was an alcoholic and a falling down drunk. I had to change my theology to experience my freedom in Christ. Or a better way to put it I had to believe Gal. 2:20. When I believed that I was “dead to sin and freed from it” I was free. I didn’t do a thing to get free. In fact I had a hangover the day I believed the truth that I was no longer living, but Christ was living in me and I have never got over it. How could you get over it? It staggers the imagination. It blows your mind! You don’t grasp it with your mind. As Rom. 10:6 says “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9 ESV). We do not believe with our minds, but our hearts. That is who you are (in your heart). Heart is spirit. Stop trying to figure it out and as Jesus responded to Jairus when they told him his daughter was dead, “Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”(Mark 5:36 NIV). Ignore the facts, the circumstances, your feelings, what others say and believe Jesus (The TRUTH). If it is true that Christ is living in us and is our life, what else could we possibly need?
For some reason every summer our support drops to about a third of what it normally is. I’m not complaining, but making an observation. God has always been faithful to meet our needs and provide for us. In the early days (30 years ago) I complained about having to raise support. Now I rejoice in it as I see God blessing us and providing for us.
We haven’t done the webinars lately as Vernon Terrell’s wife is very ill with cancer. Vernon is the reason for the webinars. It was his idea and expertise that made it possible. Please pray for Vernon and his wife Brenda, and their three children. We are going to start the webinars with the Freedom From Addictive Behaviors webinar in August and the Helping Others Overcome Addictive Behaviors webinar in October. We will be emailing all the details and how to register later.
If God should lead you to support us and send a gift toward our support, just make out the check to Grace Walk Ministries and send it to PO Box 36537, Douglasville GA 30135. Include our name on a separate piece of paper in the envelope and not on the check (to make it tax-deductible). If you should decide to give us a gift through a credit card, you can do it on the web site. Just go to gracewalk.org and scroll down and click on “DONATE”, then click on “ONLINE DONATION FORM” and fill out the blanks. Be sure to scroll down and put our name in the “Comments” section, so the gift will come to us. If you do not need a a tax deductible receipt you can give it through PayPal using this email address. We are very grateful for every gift we receive. We know that we couldn’t do this ministry without it .
A few other verses on Christ as life: Rom. 8:9 -11, 1 Cor. 1:30, 2 Cor. 13:5, Eph. 3:1, Col. 3:3 and one of my favorites when Jesus said,
“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:20).
-Mike and Julia
Freedom from Addiction 